Small wheels and large gears

[Tigerbiten]

Or go the other way ..........

Cut an inch or so off the top of the bar.
Slide a piece of tube over the bar to make a sleeve.
Fit the bar end shifter in the sleeve.
If the sleeve's a tight enough fit then it should be fairly easy to lock it into place.

 

[byegad]

check the maximum number of teeth difference the mech can handle along with the max sprocket size

Not really.
My QNT had a 24-40-55 triple up front and 11-34 9 speed rear. In theory it couldn't work, but it did and not only work, but all possible 27 ratios were used at one time or another on the road.
No quoted capacity should be able to cope with that but the shimano long reach did, for 10,000 miles. You do need to make sure the chain is just long enough to run 55-34 and when running 24-11 the derailleur tucks up quite tight. However in recumbent usage slack return runs of chains are usually looked after by chain tubes so all was well.

It's not a coincidence as my Kettwiesel runs 26-39-50 to 11-34, all usable and my Catrike Trail runs 22-34-48 to 11-34, again all usable.

 

[voyager]

@byegad

and bumblebees fly !

 

[Cupples]

So, in the lowest position, there's a whole 18mm clearance between the rear mech cage and the ground! I'd need to keep that rear tyre fairly hard...
I've since removed a few links to pull the mech cage forward a bit, but there ain't much room there. This ok?

 

[Cupples]

I read the suggestion about the adjustable reamer right after I hit the 'Buy it now' button on an 8 speed cassette. Sometimes the internet is just too convenient...

 

[Tigerbiten]

So, in the lowest position, there's a whole 18mm clearance between the rear mech cage and the ground! I'd need to keep that rear tyre fairly hard...
I've since removed a few links to pull the mech cage forward a bit, but there ain't much room there. This ok?

I found on the road it was very rare to actually hit the derailleur on the ground unless to hit the likes of the edge of a deep pothole just wrong as the wheel normally lifts the bottom of the cage away from danger.
Offroad it all depends on how big the stones you are cycling across are. Again I tend to steer to keep the derailleur away from the edges it can knock against. The other thing to work out is does a duplicated gear give you a better ground clearance and is it worth using. But what is much more common when offroad to fill the derailleur full of grass/twigs.

I'm another who used to run a big range, 48-36-22 & 9-32, on a full derailleur setup. It's important that you can use big-big because of the risk of damaging something if you cannot. But if the derailleur causes the chain to rub against itself in small-small it's no real problem. I just didn't use that combo unless I was tucking the chain up away from risk when offroad.
Now I just run a 55-38 double on a full hub gear setup.

 

[byegad]

View attachment 445826 So, in the lowest position, there's a whole 18mm clearance between the rear mech cage and the ground! I'd need to keep that rear tyre fairly hard...
I've since removed a few links to pull the mech cage forward a bit, but there ain't much room there. This ok?

Yes, fine.

 

[Bad Machine]

Yes, fine.

I'm another with minimal clearance on a long cage Shimano derailleur with a 20" wheel. The right small-small combination will keep the lower end of the cage tucked back and up out of the way of muddy or sandy ground, but I have to remember to choose this BEFORE I'm moving across it. Several hours last year were spent cleaning the whole drive train of grit and sand because I changed gear too late.

And, I now carry a spare derailleur hanger - you only need one instance of the cage being in a low position and you catching the edge of a pothole or kerb to knacker the whole set up. Last time it happened I was on a 40 mile ride - luckily only 1/2 mile from home.

The things you learn !

 

[simongt]

This is what put me off the Giant Halfway & the Birdy range of folders; rear mech too close to the ground, thus more prone to gathering road muck and possible debris damage.

 

[Tigerbiten]

One thing I do like about my Rohloff setup is that I can run it with the longest chain that's reasonable so that on the small chainring the chain tensioner is almost horizontal backwards.
This tucks the chain up as far up as possible without it rubbing on itself.
As I really need to be going over 14 mph before I need change up onto the big chainring or over 35 mph before I spinout if I'm in overdrive mode, it's rare for my chain tensioner to anywhere near the muck if I'm offroad now.